No, it's not what you think, David and I are doing well together. My heart trouble is literally the ole ticker. July 10, as a result of the echocardiogram done that day, I had emergency heart surgery to drain fluid from around my heart. The surgeon drained nearly a liter of fluid that day, and the 'hose' they had in me drained another 250-300 cc's. The scary thing is, there really were no symptoms to speak of, at least not before the Ct. Scan. I'm pretty sure the allergic reaction I had to the IV dye triggered an increase in the fluids- I felt worse every day after until Tuesday when the echocardiogram was conducted. But the cardialogist that met me in the ER said that I'd had fluid in the pericardium for some time. We still don't know what started it, and may never know why there was blood in there first. Anyhow, I had surgery just a few hours after the echo, and there is no doubt that the decisive and quick actions of the technician conducting it saved my life.
The surgery went well, but somehow the other specialists involved, the internal medicine guys, decided I should be put through a bunch of abdominal tests while I was in there, I guess heart surgery isn't as important as their work. Anyhow, they put me through the wringer for nearly a week before I finally got home, 10 days after the heart surgery. I'm pretty mad at those doctors right now, but David says I can't think about it too much right now, cuz I get all stirred up. OK, raging might be a better word..... Anyhow, that will be dealt with, but I have to get well first from the heart surgery. I still have some bleeding from the wounds, but it's healing well.
The hardest thing for me is to take it easy, and not overdo things. I think I keep getting these health problems just to learn a little patience, and to pace myself better. Obviously, I dont' learn that lesson well, so I keep getting more opportunities!
Just a note- I'm grateful to be alive. I'm so grateful for my family- when I woke up from surgery, David, Heather, Nic and Jared were there. Hap & Sandy, my brother and sister-in-law, came up that evening, and my sister Debbie was here Wednesday morning. Allison had spoken to them, making arrangements to come down when I got out of the hospital if needed. My poor mom had left here Tuesday to be with her brother California, who has terminal cancer. She was so torn when she called me Wednesday, but I told her that I have all the other family here, but Jerry really needs her, she is the only one that can help him right now, since his wife is hospitalized.
So many of my friends have been here, Jenny and Laina came to see me in the hospital, Julie came up shortly after I got out. My niece Shawna came on Monday and stayed here all week, helping us in every way. It's tricky to cook for me, I have a lot of allergies to food, but she very patiently worked with me to make meals I can eat, that also taste good to David.
Everyone has been checking in on me regularly. I just want them all to know how much I love each of them, and I'm humbled by the love and compassion shown to me.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
Continuing Saga...
Call me a geek, or a kid, but I don't care, I'm looking forward to the Harry Potter book, and the movie of Order of the Phoenix. I went to the first movie several years ago, and was surprised at how good it was, so I read the book. J.K. writes well, and they are clean books, something hard to find any more. I love that good triumphs over evil, but in an interesting story. So next week will be a busy one for me, I hope, reading the book, then watching the movie on an older H.P book.
Speaking of next week, I had some interesting news today, and not really in a good way. I had a CT scan yesterday, for my abdominal problems- i.e. gut pain. Ran into a little trouble there... drank the lovely 'berry smoothie', which is actually barium in chalky milk. The 1st 32 ozs. weren't too bad, I drank that at 8:00 am. Got to the hospital, went to Radiology, where they so very kindly gave me another 'berry smoothie', which I obligingly choked down. Now, I couldn't eat or drink anything else, and I'm pretty hypoglycemic, so by the last few chalky gulps I was feeling a sugar buzz, and losing focus from the lack of food and water.
The Radiologist finally came to get me, shortly after 11. He was very friendly, and explained everything he was doing beforehand. Then he inserted a 'pic' line into my arm, and have me a shot of and IV dye, to light up my blood system. I made it through the CT scan, which only took a few minutes, then as he was pulling the table back through the system he said "how ya doin?" I said 'not good', and blacked out. Turns out I'm allergic to the dye, and it took them about an hour to get me back. They kept bugging me, all I wanted to do was slip into oblivion, but thank goodness they wouldn't let me. Finally they gave me some Benadryl, after they were sure Heather could pick me up so I didn't have to drive.
Cut to today, my Dr.s office called and said that the CT scan didn't find any problems in my guts, but I have blood in the pericardium around my heart. Now that's the last thing I expected to hear! So, next week I have an echocardigraph scheduled, along with 2 Dr.s appointments. I tell, ya, I hit 50 and just fell apart physically, now what's that about?????
Speaking of next week, I had some interesting news today, and not really in a good way. I had a CT scan yesterday, for my abdominal problems- i.e. gut pain. Ran into a little trouble there... drank the lovely 'berry smoothie', which is actually barium in chalky milk. The 1st 32 ozs. weren't too bad, I drank that at 8:00 am. Got to the hospital, went to Radiology, where they so very kindly gave me another 'berry smoothie', which I obligingly choked down. Now, I couldn't eat or drink anything else, and I'm pretty hypoglycemic, so by the last few chalky gulps I was feeling a sugar buzz, and losing focus from the lack of food and water.
The Radiologist finally came to get me, shortly after 11. He was very friendly, and explained everything he was doing beforehand. Then he inserted a 'pic' line into my arm, and have me a shot of and IV dye, to light up my blood system. I made it through the CT scan, which only took a few minutes, then as he was pulling the table back through the system he said "how ya doin?" I said 'not good', and blacked out. Turns out I'm allergic to the dye, and it took them about an hour to get me back. They kept bugging me, all I wanted to do was slip into oblivion, but thank goodness they wouldn't let me. Finally they gave me some Benadryl, after they were sure Heather could pick me up so I didn't have to drive.
Cut to today, my Dr.s office called and said that the CT scan didn't find any problems in my guts, but I have blood in the pericardium around my heart. Now that's the last thing I expected to hear! So, next week I have an echocardigraph scheduled, along with 2 Dr.s appointments. I tell, ya, I hit 50 and just fell apart physically, now what's that about?????
Monday, June 25, 2007
whatalife
Okay, well I've been busy grabbing my gut in pain, it's not the way I like to spend any time! I have a Dr. appointment tomorrow, so hopefully we'll get some answers pretty soon. I realized about Friday, after I hadn't eaten for two days, that this has been a pattern for the past 6 months. Oh yeah, the Dr.'s assured me the gall bladder surgery would solve the problem, and, what a shock, it didn't!
Other than that, I've been researching the Haines family name, and I'm pretty excited that I found William T. Haines with his parents, James and Sarah Haines. They weren't in Texas they were in Georgia... So much for his memory of where the family lived! I found them on the 1870 and 1880 census in Morgan, Hall, Georgia, so it was a pretty solid find.
I've been thinking a lot about the majority of families that homesteaded this great country. Most of them left very little written records, maybe a family bible, handed down to the oldest child often. The rest of the kids were left without the records of their heritage, such a shame! Our solid, hardworking ancestors may have lived and worked in the same place for a several generations, and yet there are rarely newspaper articles, family letters, church or other records that they existed in that time and place. Then, I realized the same thing is happening today. How many of us have our names in the paper, or write a book, leave a mark on this earth for our descendants to find?? We live 50-80 years, have children, provide charitable works, hopefully, in our communities, attend church, join organizations, attend PTA, cub scouts, boy scouts, girl scouts, anything to help our children as they grow up. But, so much of our lives are left unrecorded, unless we decide to write our history, keep a journal, do something to leave a footprint for others to find. I guess I have to work harder to keep a journal...
It's been hotter than he__ here lately, and no rain in sight. I have some beautiful flowers, though, the sunflowers are turning to seed, and the Queen Ann's Lace is proudly reaching for the sky. Some of them are 3 feet high! The carrots, cucumbers and lettuce are coming along nicely. Me and the bees have argued about what time we can each putter in the garden, and I decided to be gracious and give them plenty of time out there without me. The Arizona pine tree we planted last year has grown about five feet! I thought they were slow growing, but it has really taken off. There are strawberry plants, no berries, sadly. I have snapdragons, calla lillies, onions,garlic and a few other treasures in the same bed, and they are pretty happy there.
Other than that, I've been researching the Haines family name, and I'm pretty excited that I found William T. Haines with his parents, James and Sarah Haines. They weren't in Texas they were in Georgia... So much for his memory of where the family lived! I found them on the 1870 and 1880 census in Morgan, Hall, Georgia, so it was a pretty solid find.
I've been thinking a lot about the majority of families that homesteaded this great country. Most of them left very little written records, maybe a family bible, handed down to the oldest child often. The rest of the kids were left without the records of their heritage, such a shame! Our solid, hardworking ancestors may have lived and worked in the same place for a several generations, and yet there are rarely newspaper articles, family letters, church or other records that they existed in that time and place. Then, I realized the same thing is happening today. How many of us have our names in the paper, or write a book, leave a mark on this earth for our descendants to find?? We live 50-80 years, have children, provide charitable works, hopefully, in our communities, attend church, join organizations, attend PTA, cub scouts, boy scouts, girl scouts, anything to help our children as they grow up. But, so much of our lives are left unrecorded, unless we decide to write our history, keep a journal, do something to leave a footprint for others to find. I guess I have to work harder to keep a journal...
It's been hotter than he__ here lately, and no rain in sight. I have some beautiful flowers, though, the sunflowers are turning to seed, and the Queen Ann's Lace is proudly reaching for the sky. Some of them are 3 feet high! The carrots, cucumbers and lettuce are coming along nicely. Me and the bees have argued about what time we can each putter in the garden, and I decided to be gracious and give them plenty of time out there without me. The Arizona pine tree we planted last year has grown about five feet! I thought they were slow growing, but it has really taken off. There are strawberry plants, no berries, sadly. I have snapdragons, calla lillies, onions,garlic and a few other treasures in the same bed, and they are pretty happy there.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Knitting rocks!
This is the vest I designed and knitted for Jared, I made him model it for me before he could take it home. He wanted an argyle sweater/vest. so we created a pattern and he was able to have it fitted exactly for him. Says he loves it!
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